ICC begins
disciplinary
proceedings

Calcutta: The International Cricket Council (ICC), headed by India’s Narayanswamy Srinivasan, has initiated “disciplinary proceedings” against a senior official.

Associated with the ICC’s anti-corruption and security unit, the senior official “sexually harassed” the wife of a delegate at the annual conference dinner, at the MCG, last Thursday.

Even old-timers in the ICC couldn’t recall a previous (“disgusting”) happening on similar lines.

Incidentally, the senior official and the delegate are from different countries.

The incident was exclusively documented in these columns on Tuesday, in the report headlined ‘Sexual harass slur on ICC top gun’.

Late in the evening, a source very close to the ICC, told The Telegraph: “Disciplinary proceedings have been started and the senior official will be dealt with in accordance with the organisation’s code of conduct.”

The source added: “In fact, the ICC took note of the incident immediately, but disciplinary proceedings could only begin once the men who matter got back to Dubai (the HQ) after the hectic annual conference week, in Melbourne...

“Please understand that the process is robust and absolutely nobody is above the ICC’s own code of conduct. Even CEO Dave Richardson wouldn’t be spared and would have to go through what is laid out.”

At the end of the day, however, the “robust” process will be a closed-door affair. So, there’s every chance that the senior official, because of the position he holds, could get away with a rap on his knuckles.

But, then, let’s see...

It’s not clear whether the delegate lodged a formal complaint either with Srinivasan or Richardson, but at least two senior officials of the ICC played a role in getting their ill-behaved colleague to “unconditionally apologise” to the shocked couple.

Their testimony, therefore, would be crucial.

Nobody is, of course, saying anything at this stage with everybody taking the line that the matter is “far too sensitive.”